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Left to
Right Pony Club members, Caroline Gardiner, Lizzy Cook and Nick Balogh.
Photo by Mike Cook, PC Dad.
The History and Development of
Polocrosse
Polocrosse,
a game related to polo but played with a racquet similar to that used in
Lacrosse, was approved by the Board of Governors as a USPC discipline in
February 1997. The game was developed in
Australia
in the late 1930's, and it is now played with great enthusiasm
internationally. In 2003,
Australia
hosted the first-ever Polocrosse World Cup,
where the U.S.
competed against teams from seven other countries. Across the U.S. the
sport of Polocrosse is growing through
clinics, tournaments, and rallies.
A Polocrosse team for Pony Club consists of
three players and a stable manager who may participate as a replacement
if qualified. Each rider may use only one horse per game, and that horse
may not be played more than 48 minutes per day. Each game period or
chukka is normally 6 to 8 minutes. Each team usually plays four chukkas
per day. The field is 160 yards long by 60 yards wide. The four-inch
ball is made of soft rubber, bounces well and is caught, thrown or
carried in the net end of a yard-long cane racquet. Horses wear leg
wraps and bell boots on all four legs for protection. Almost any horse
may be used, with no limitation on size.
However, USPC, separates horse and
pony divisions at the intermediate level and only horses may compete at
the advanced level.
A logical extension of
Pony Club Games competition, Polocrosse is a natural draw for boys,
although in Pony Club girls still make up the majority of players. Even
beginning players can manage a game that's lots of fun and encourages
them to improve quickly through the ranks of Pee-Wees (players 10 years
old and younger on ponies 14.2 hands or less), Novice, Intermediate and
Advanced. Polocrosse requires practice of ball handling skills-bouncing,
picking up, throwing and catching the ball in the net of the racquet,
and players learn to cradle the ball to keep opposing players from
hitting it out of the net. Riders develop strong self-confidence in
their riding ability, especially riding in the open, while improving
their eye-hand coordination and the ability to do more then one thing at
a time while riding.
Basic Dressage training
is important in developing a good Polocrosse horse, as a horse must have
good balance and respond well to the aids. Horses quickly catch on, and
seem to enjoy the game as much as their riders!
East Championships 2006
